Sealing machine for containers or the like



June .7, 1927. 1,631,748

C. E. MARTIN SEALING MACHINE FOR CONTAINERS OR. THE LIKE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR U/zal'ltdi 1!. 111 11-612.

/2422 ATTORNEYS.

3 SheetsSheet 2 INVENTOR kalka lT/tiarlav.

BY j

4261f ATTORNEY 3.

June 7 1927.

c. E. MARTIN SEALING MACHINE FOR CONTAINERS OR THE LIKE Filed Feb. 1a. 1926 11 1927. 8 7 c. E. MARTIN SEALING MACHINE FOR CONTAINERS OR THE LIKE Filed Feb. 13, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 EM W as; ATTORNEY a.

45 for inserting and Patented June 7, 1927.

UNITED "STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. MARTIN, OE PAULSIBORO, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO VACUUM OIL COM IPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

SEALING-"MACHINE FOR CONTAINERS OR THE LIKE.

Application filed February 13, 1926. Serial in. 88,158.

The present invention relates to sealing machines for containers or the like andan object thereof is to provide a construction inv which an expanding tool will carry a sealing device from registered position to a container and thereafter expand the sealingdevice into interlocking connection with the container. A further object of the invention 1 is to provide a magnetized expander for a sealing device utilized for feeding a sealing device to a container with which the expander interlocks the sealing device. A further object of the invention is to provide a novel feeding mechanism for a sealing del vice which will separate a sealing device from a number and feed it singly to a registered position. Still another object of the.

invention is to provide a novel means of conveying containers one at a time to a position where an expanding device will interlock a sealing device With-the container.

To these and other ends the invention consists of certain parts and combinations of parts, all of which will be hereinafter described: the novel features being pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a side view of a machine constructed in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 shows the machine in front elevation;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the machine;

Fig. 4' is a fragmentary end View from the side opposite that shown in Fig. 1

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view partially in section of the feeding and expanding means for the sealing device;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional View of a. container showing a sealing device therein 4 and the expanding tool .in expanded posi-- tion; and

i Fig. 7 is a detail view of the indexing means for the feeding drum. I

The machine in this invention is designe securing sealing devices in containers. In this embodiment the machine-is designed for sealing lubricant containers 1 which have s outs 2 in the top walls thereof; The sealing device in this instance, is in the'form of a cup shaped member 3 of sheet metal having a peripheral outwardly extending flange 4. This sealing device is introduced into the spout and has its lower edge expanded on the inner face of the top wall of the container as of we arranged at an angle to the horizontal so that the drum rotates about an axis in-f clined to the perpendicular. In this instance, the drum is supported by a shaft 10 which is journaled in the frame of the machine at 11 and a step by step feeding motion 1s imparted to this drum by a feeding means of any suitable construction such for instance as a disk 12 formed with a number of notches corresponding in number to the openings 8 in the drum 7 this notched disk being arranged on the shaft 10 and being adapted to be engaged by a projection 13 on a rotary member 14 which tends to advance the drum one step with each rotation of the'rotary member 14, while, at the same time, engaging the disk 12 in such a manner as to hold the latter against rotation between the feeding movements. The rotary member 14 may be driven by a pulley 15 over which a belt 16 asses, said belt passing about two pulleys 1 and also down about a pulley 18 on a drive shaft 19.

The band 9 surrounding the drum is ini perforate except for an opening 20 opposite a chute 21. Each step by step movement of the drum 7 brings one of the openings 8 opone of the sealing devices is discharged into the chute 21 and moves downwardly in the chute to the end thereof, where it engages a stop 22, the end of the chute being horizontally arranged so that the sealing device lies in a horizontal position. i

The cans 1 into which the sealing devices are to be introduced are fed to the machine in any suitable manner. Preferably they move toward the machine on a runway which shown at 5 in Fig. 6, thus securin the seal- I posite the opening 20 in the band 9, so that a comprises a series of rollers 23 supported by side rails 24, so that-the runway as a whole is slightly inclined, the rollers 23 being slightly one above the other. At the lower end of this runway is a stop rail 25 against which the cans abut. This stop rail forms an extension of a supporting means on which thecans rest while they are having the sealmechanism is employed comprising,

' carried to any suitable point.

. ing devices inserted therein. In this instance, the supporting means comprises a rail and a rail 26, both lying to one side of the roller runway and the rail 25 extending over the runway to act as a stop as pointed out.

In order to feed the cans from the roller runway to the supporting means, a feeding in this instance, a sprocket chain or endless cbnveyor 28 passed about sprocket wheels 29 so that a portion of the conveyor chain passes between the two rollers 23 of the gravity conveyor and below the cans supported on said rollers. This chain has projections 30 which are adapted to engage the cans adjacent the lower edges thereof and displace them from the roller runway onto the supporting members 25 and 27. The sprocketchain 28 after moving the cans onto the supporting means 25 and 27, then descends to carry .the projections 30 out of engagement with the cans and thereafter passes about a drive wheel 31 on the shaft 19. This: drive wheelhas a clutch connection 32 with the drive shaft 19 and this clutch connection is in the form of a one rotation clutch device. Its action is such that once it has established connection between the drive wheel 31 and the drive shaft 19 it causes the drive wheel to make one complete revolution and then to stop due to the fact that the clutch 32 breaks connection between the drive wheel 31 and the shaft 19. The clutch 32 is controlled, in this instance, by a controlling member in the form of an arm 33 which projects over the stop rail position to be engaged by a can 1 as the latter approaches the stop rail 25. The arm 33 extends from a rocking portion 34 which has also an arm 35 controlling the clutch 32. A spring 36 normally holds the arm 33 in position to be engaged by the can and the arm 35 in a'position to break connection between the drive wheel 31 and the drive shaft 19. After the can'is sealed the manner to be described, it is displaced from the supporting means 25 and 27 onto an inclined roller runway 37 through which the can is The sealing device in passing down the chute 21 moves to the stop 22 which gives the device a registered position with reference to. a feeding expanding tool to be described. The feeding expanding tool, in this instance, comprises a head 37 'in the form of a hollow member which is split or divided longitudinally at 38 to provide a plurality of spring arms. Each of these arms is I'orme with a peripheral notch or groove 39 to provide at the end of each arm a curved rib 40 and a shoulder 41 at one side of the groove. This feeding expanding device is in the form of a permanent magnet and has its upper end internally screw threaded at 42 and fitted to a I plunger will 25 in the screw threaded projection 43 on an arm 44 which extends laterally from a rod 45. A

plunger 46 is guided in the arm 44 throughthe screw threaded projection 43, its lower end being enlarged at 47 to provide a shoulder which will cooperate with the lower end of the external screw threaded projection 43 to limit the upward movement of the lunger. The plunger also, carries a spreading device48 within the hollow expander 37, this spreading device having a tapered end 49 which cooperates with inclined or bevelled surfaces 50 on the inner sides of the resilient arms of the expanding head. The spreading device may also be in the form of a permanent magnet. Normally the resilient arms hold ward position so that the shoulder on the engage the lower end of the projection 43, but when the plunger 46 is depressed in any suitable manner, the tapered portion of the spreader, by cooperating with the bevelled surfaces 50 on the inner sides of the resilient arms, spread such arms apart. Thespreading device is moved in any suitable manner to cause the expander head while in an unexpanded condition to enter one of the sealing devices in the registered position at the lower end of the chute 21. The sealing device being made of metal and. the expanded device being magnetized, the sealing device is attracted to the expandin device, and thereafter the expanding device or head is moved to introduce the sealing device into the spout of the can, as shown in Fig; 6, resting on the supporting rails 25 and 27.

' After the introduction of the sealing device, the spreader 48 lowers and moves the jaws or arms of the expanding head outwardly, causing the sealing device to be distor ted or spread outwardly on the inner side of the can about the spout opening, trated in Fig. 6 of the drawings. After the expansion of the sealing device, the spreading plunger 48 moves upwardly under the action of the spring arms of the expanding device, and the latter is withdrawn from the sealing device and moves again to take up another sealing device at the registered position at the'lower end of the chute. In the meantime another can is moved to the suporting rails 25 and 27 and displaces the sealed can onto the conveyor rollers 37.

.Any suitable 'means may be employed for moving andoperating the expanding device. In this instance, expanding device is mounted is guided for vertical movement on the. frame and has also an oscillatory movement. The vertical movement is effective by a cam shaft 19 which cooperates with a roller 52 the spreader in its upas illus- Y the shaft 45 on which the '51 on the i on a member 53 which has a bifurcated por- 1 tion 54 straddling the shaft 19 and guided thereon. The rod or shaft 45 has its lower end seated in a pocket in the member 53 so that the rod may turn or oscillate in said member. The cam 51 is so formed that the rod makes two up anddown motions for each rotation of the shaft 19. one short up and down motion to cause the expanding head to enter the seal in the chute 21 and one up and down motion of longer stroke to cause the expanding head, .with the seal thereon, to be placed in the can and then to be withdrawn from the can without the seal The registered position of the sealing device lies to one side of the line of movement of the can and for this reason it is desirable to impart to the shaft 45 an oscillatory movement to swing the expanding device from the registered position to thecan and from the can to the registered position. This may be effected in any suitable manner but, in

this instance, an arm 55 is provided on the shaft 45 and has a pitman 56 pivoted there-- to at 57. This pi-tman also is pivoted at to a swinging lever 59 which is in turn pivoted at its lower end at 60 to the frame of the machine. This lever carries a roller 61 which cooperates with a cam 62 on the main drive shaft 19 so that for one rotation of the shaft 19, an oscillatory movement of the shaft 45 takes place to carry the expanding shaft from the registered position? to the can and back again.

For effecting the depression of the spreading device to operate the expanding head, any suitable means may be employed. In this instance, a lever 63 is pivoted at 64 between its ends to the arm 44, one end lying above the upper end of the plunger 46 and being held toward the plunger by a spring 65 and the other end having an adjusting screw 66 adapted to be engaged by the upper 'end of an operating rod 67 which is guided vertically on'the frame of the machine, and is normally held in its lowermost position by a spring 68. The lower end of this rod lies in proximity to an operating projection 69 arranged on the shaft 19. When the expanding head has been introduced into the spout of the can with the sealing device, the adjusting screw 66 of the lever 63 lies directly above the upper end of the operating rod 67 and, after the positioning of the sealing device in the can, this operating rod 67 moves upwardly and swings the lever 63 on its pivot 64 to depress the plunger 46 so that the spreading device 48 operates the expanding head to expand the seal, and cause the latter tointerlock with the can. Immediately after this operation of the lever 63 takes place, therod 67 descends under the action of the spring 68 so as to lie in the path of the finger 69 when the latter again is turned by the shaft 19. Theoperation of the invention will be f n derstood from the foregoing, but it maybe summarized as follows: The sealing devices are placed in the drum 7 and the latter is rotated to agitate the sealing devices to cause them to pass one at a time through the openings into the chute 21 to the registered position as defined by the stop 22. Cans to be sealed pass down the conveyor 23 to the stop 25 engaging the end of the arm 33 to permit the clutch 32 to establish connection between the shaft 19 and drive the sprocket wheel 31. This sprocket wheel causes the projections 30 on the sprocket chain or conveyor 28 to engage the can which abuts the stoprail 25 and moves such can to the supporting rails 25 and 27 under the field of operation of the expanding head. .The expanding head enters the sealing device at the registered position and the latter is held thereto by the magnetism of such device. The expanding head then moves over the can on the supporting rails 25 and 27 and "then downwardly placing the sealing device into the spout of the can. The head is then expanded through the rod 67 moving upwardly and, when this rod descends, the spreading device 47 moves upwardly under the action of the resilient jaws of the expanding head.- Thereafter the expanding head is moved-to take up another sealing device and the sealed can is fed away from sealing position and an unsealed can is fed to sealing position.

'lNhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A machine of the class described comprising a supporting means for the can to be sealed, a magnetized expanding head,

mechanism for moving" said expanding head to cause it to carry a sealing device from a registered position to a .can on the supporting means, and mechanism for operating said expanding head to cause the sealing device to interlock with the container to which the sealing device is fed by said head.

2. A machine of the classdescribed comprising a supporting means for the containers to be sealed, a hollow expanding head formed with slots to provide spring arms, said head being magnetized, a spreader .for

said arms arranged within the expanding head, means for moving said expanding head from a registered position, where a sealing device is arranged,.to the container on thesupporting means in order to carry said sealing device from the registered position to. the, supporting means through the magnetization of theex-panding head, and mechanism for operating said spreading device when the expanding devicehas supplied 'the sealing device to the container to cause said expanding 'device tointerlock thesealing device with the container.

3. A machine" of the class described comprising a support for a container to be sealed, means for providing a registered position for the seal, an expanding device having the sealing device provision for holding the seals thereto, means for moving said expanding --'device from the registered position of the sealing device to a container on the supporting means, and means for operating'said expanding device when the sealing device is applied to the container for eflecting connection of the sealing device with the container.

4. A machine of the class describe-d comprising a supporting means for the container to be sealed, means for providing for the sealing device a registered position to one side of said supporting means, an expanding device having provision for holding a sealing device thereto, mechanism for effecting vertical movements of the expanding device to cause the latter to cooperate with a sealing device-in the registered position and with the container on the supporting means, and means for effecting lateral movement of the expanding device to cause the latter to travel to the container from the sealing device and vice versa, and means for effecting the movement of the expanding device to cause the latter to interlock in the container.

5. A machine of the class described .comprising means for supporting a container, means for providing a registered position for a sealing device, an expanding device having magnetized spring arms, a magnetized spreading device for said arms, means for moving said expanding device and spreading device to the registered position of the sealing device for engaging the sealing device and to the supporting means to carry said sealing device to a container on the supporting means, and means for operating said magnetized spreader to cause the expanding device to effect the interlocking of the sealing device with the container.

{5. A machine of the class described comprlsing means for supporting a container, means for providing a registered position for a sealing device to one side of the container, an oscillatory and reci rocatory shaft, an arm carried by said sha t, an expanding device carried by said arm and having magnetized arms, a magnetized spreading device for effecting the operation of the arms .of said expanding device, mechanism for moving said shaft axially and also for turning said shaft to carry the expanding devicefrom the registered position ofthe sealing device to a container on the sup porting means and vice versa, and mechanism for operating said spreading device to operate the expanding device when the latter has positioned the sealing device within the container on the supporting means.

7. A machine of the class described comprising means for supporting a container,

means for providing a registered position for a sealing device to one side of the container, an oscillatory and reci rocatory shaft, an arm carried by said shaft, an expanding device carried by said arm and having magnetized arms, 'a magnetized spreading device for effecting the operation .of the arms of said expanding device, mechanism for moving said shaft axially and also for turning said shaft to carry the expanding device fro the registered position of the sealing ;d v1ce to a container on the supporting means and vice versa, and mechanism for operatingsaid spreading device to operate t e expanding device when the latter has positioned the sealing device within the container on the supporting means, said mechanism comprising a double arm lever mounted on the arm which carriesthe expanding device and having one arm cooperating with the spreading device, and a reciprocatory lunger arranged to engage the other arm of said double arm level when the expanding device has positioned the seal ing device in the container.

8. The combination with a supporting means for containers to successively feeding containers to said supporting means, means for feeding one at a time sealing devices to a registered position atone side of said supporting means, a combined feeding and expanding device for carrying a sealing device from the registered position to a container on the supporting means, and means for operating said combined feeding and expanding device to cause the lat-ter to interlock the sealing device with the container on the supporting means.

9. A machine of the class described comprising a roller runway, a pair of supporting rails extending laterally from the runway, one of said supporting rails extending over the runway to act as a stop for containers travelling down the runway, an endless conveyor operating transversely of the runway to move the containers from the runway to the rails at one side of the runway, means for feeding the sealing devices to a registered position to one side of the supporting rails, a combined feeding and expanding device for feeding a sealing device from the registered position to a container on the supporting rails, and means for operating the combined feeding and expanding device to cause the latter to interlock the sealing device with-a container on the runway.

10. A machine of the class described combe sealed, means for shaft for efiecting the longitudinal movement of the rotary and axiall'y movable shaft, and a cam on the drive shaft having connection with the rotary and longitudinally movable shaft for effecting the rotary movement of the latter.

11. A machine of the class described comprising means for supporting a container in a position to be sealed, means for providing a registered position for a sealing device, a feeding sealer-expander, mechanism for imparting to said expander feeding movements to feed a sealing device from the registered position to a container on the supporting means, and mechanism for operating said expander to interlock a sealing device with the container after it has fed the sealing device to a container.

12. A machine'of the class described comprising means for supporting a container in a position to be sealed, means providing a registered position for a sealing device, and a magnetized expander movableto carry a sealing device from the registered position to a container on the supporting means.

CHARLES E. MARTIN. 

